Worthless
by hwtrKitska
Summary: Jinguuji Ren thinks he understands the meaning behind their 'name'. Hijirikawa Masato doesn't agree. Part 1 of the Prince of Song Battles series. Alternate Universe. Loveless-verse.
1. the third son

**Title:** Worthless  
**Author:** Kitska  
**Character(s)|Pairing(s):** Hijirikawa Masato, Jinguuji Ren  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Warnings:** TBA; harsh language, excessive use of headcanon  
**Summary:** Jinguuji Ren thinks he understands the meaning behind their 'name'. Hijirikawa Masato doesn't agree.  
**Author's Notes:** Original idea by Kouga Yun. As with the original _Loveless_ universe, children are born with cat ears and tail, a symbol of their virginity. Saotome Academy is still a school of the arts, but Shining conducts special classes to train Fighters in song battles rather than just simple word battles.

Also, I am so sorry for the failwriting. I should not be writing at 2.30am in the morning.

* * *

The _name_ first appeared on his chest when he was fifteen, a few months after his birthday but before his father passed away. Ren thought it was appropriate for him, being the third-born son of the Jinguuji Corporation and never once acknowledged by his father, no matter how hard he tried. He wasn't even sure if the head of the Jinguuji Corporation ever saw him as a real son; he was certain the old man hated him because of how he looked.

His nanny once told him, when he was seven and curious as to why he didn't look like his older brothers, that he was an exact copy of his mother Renge, right down to the sapphire blue eyes and sunset blond hair. A mother he had never known, having died at childbirth. Ren had wanted to know more about her, but his father locks him in his room when he dared to ask, and even his brothers didn't want to talk about it. Whatever information he had was told to him by his nanny, and even then that was few and far between.

It was only when he was twelve that he heard more about his mother, or as the maids put it, 'that poor little nightingale'. From what he gathered, his mother wanted to be an idol, but before her audition, she fell in love with a recently widowed Jinguuji, who took her in as a new wife. Young and naïve, she became pregnant with her one and only son, and went for an audition one Christmas evening, hoping to further her career after she gave birth. News about her successful audition came one week before she was due, and in her excitement, she tripped and fell.

Ren was born a week premature on a cold Valentine's morning. His mother passed away before she could hold him in her arms, and the only people to watch him draw breath was his oldest brother and his nanny.

His father never once looked him in the eye, and Ren never knew the exact reason why until he was twelve.

Fifteen years and a few months after his birth, the word '_worthless_' appeared over his heart, dark red and looking ready to bleed. Ren's cat ears pressed close to his head, his full brush of a tail twitching in annoyance.

"Tch. _Worthless_? What the hell is that even supposed to mean? I'm not worthless! I'm the third son of the Jinguuji corporation. I'm still useful to Father…"


	2. the first son

The _name_ first appeared on his chest when he was fourteen, a few months before his next birthday. Masato had frowned and tried to ignore it, but the damage was already done. He knew he couldn't escape the inevitable; he would have to be the Sacrifice of a Fighter, like it or not.

When he was eight, he remembered asking his grandfather why his father was so harsh on him ever since he turned three. As the first born child, Masato learned that aside from being groomed as the heir of the Hijirikawa Corporation, he had also been subtly trained to endure the physical hardships a Sacrifice would face during Battles. However, he was never given the reason why he had to become a Sacrifice. He wasn't even sure what a Sacrifice was supposed to do, or what Battles were; any and all questions he asked were ignored, and each time he dared to even flick his tail at his father, his training schedule increased tenfold.

A few months after his eleventh birthday, Masato held his newborn sister Mai in his arms. It was the first time in ages since he smiled from his heart, and the last time he would ever smile. His mother had fallen sick a few weeks after Mai's birth, and she was confined to her room as doctors were called in to treat her to their best ability. There was nothing he could do but wait and see if fate was kind to his mother and his family.

Fourteen years and a few months since his birth, the word '_worthless_' appeared over his heart, dark red and looking ready to bleed. Scowling, Masato's cat ears flicked back and forth, the tip of his tail twitching in agitation.

"_Worthless_? Is this a joke? I am not worthless. I have proven myself as a capable heir. I _will_ make Father and Mother proud of me."


End file.
